The History of South Windsor Connecticut
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The History of South Windsor Connecticut: Settlement to Incorporation 1634 - 1845 Lori Jean Kremidas Historigraphy March 25, 1981 Dr. Hebert Photos by Debbie Kimball Note from the webmaster This document is the creation of Lori Kremidas, for her Historigraphy paper in 1981. For inclusion on the web site it was necessary to scan the original, and use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to reproduce it here. This also required some proofreading and correction because OCR technology is not perfect. More important is the fact that my proofreading is not perfect. I was often distracted by the content, which I find very interesting. I apologize to you and Lori for anything I missed. Another side effect of the conversion process was the layout. I have changed it slightly to make it more appealing to the reader. I have submitted it to Ms Kremidas for approval. While we agree, it may be that he professor, Dr Hebert, would not. None the less we offer it here for your enjoyment. The contents and Graphics (though some have been enhanced) are the same as when Lori wrote on March 25, 1981. While the times we live in have changed, history has not, and this document is as accurate as the day she wrote. She did a wonderful job. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. John Marchesseault Webmaster, www.southwindsor.org "I have spent this morning in riding through Paradise. My eyes never beheld so fine a country. From Bissell's Tavern in East Windsor to Hartford Ferry, 8 miles, is one continued street, houses all along, and a vast prospect of level country on each hand, the lands very rich and the husbandry pretty good," 1 Quincy Adams 1771 THE HISTORY OF SOUTH WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT: SETTLEMENT TO INCORPORATION 1634 – 1845 In 1614, Adrian Block sailed up the Connecticut River and landed at what is now known as South Windsor, There he found an Indian village belonging to the Newaas, and they called their settlement Newashee, Also in this area were the Podunk Indians, This tribe journeyed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to beg the Puritans to establish a trading post on their lands to protect them from their fierce enemies who subjected them to heavy taxes and restrictions. The Puritans declined the offer of the lands and the Indians took their cause to the Pilgrims at Plymouth. In 1633, the Plymouth Company sailed from Plymouth up to the Sound and then up the Connecticut River. At that time, however, the river had many names and not just one. The Indians referred to it as the Quonectiticot or Long River; also the River of Pines. The Plymouth group called it the Great River, while Adrian Block used the name Fresh River. The party from Plymouth, Cape Cod Bay, landed at the mouth of the Junscis (now Farmington) River and set up a trading post. They made three purchases of land in 1634. The tract containing what became South Windsor was on the east side of the Great River and was bounded on the south by a line running east from the mouth of the Scantic River for about three miles and on the North by a line running east from the fork of the Nemanick Brook, The east boundary was somewhat indefinite but was approximately three miles east of the Great River and parallel to it. In 1635, the following year, settlers from Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay, came across country and landed at the mouth of the same Junscis River. They were a much stronger party than the original Plymouth group and settled there against the protests of the first comers and purchasers. Meanwhile, a third group arrived directly from England. This expedition was under the leadership of Mr. Francis Styles and had come under a charter deed from the Earl of Warwick, President of State for the New England Colonies. Since all three groups were Englishmen, they soon compromised. The Dorchester party took the Great Meadow north of the Junscis. Present day South Windsor was located in this tract. In 1637, the Dorchester party named the area “Windsor". Of the three groups that desired this area, they were the largest and the real founders of the town. The Dorchester men felt that the town should own the rights to the land purchased by the Plymouth men. This latter group proceeded to sell practically the whole of the lands purchased by them, the transaction taking place May 15, 1739: On consideration of 37₤ - 105 - 0 to be paid about three months hence the said Mr, Prince doth sell unto the Inhabitants of Windsor, all that land, meadow and upland,, from a marked tree a quarter of a mile above Mr. Styles, North; to the great swamp near the bounds of Hartford, south; for breadth; and in length into the country toward Poquonock .... In witness therof, the parties above have set their hands and seals the day and year above written, Surveyor Matthew Grant 2 Half of Windsor was on the east side of the river (present day South Windsor). The settlers had no intention of building homes there, In addition to their home lots on the west side, the settlers were given a proportionate share of land from the east side in the form of strips or "planting lots". These were used as pasturelands. No land was taken from the Indians by force but was purchased after negotiation with the Indian proprietors. Today, we would consider the prices paid as very inadequate. The extent of the-country covered by all these purchases from the Indians comprised between 150,000 to 175,000 acres, or more than 250 square miles. In 1637, the colonists organized a military expedition to fight the Pequot Indians who had attacked the Wethersfield settlement and killed six men and three women. Windsor provided forty-four men and Captain John Mason was the leader of the little army which had a total of ninety white men from three settlements. This expedition was successful and practically destroyed the Pequot tribe in Connecticut. In 1639, the General Court conferred on each town the power of local self-government and gave them the authority to sell or otherwise dispose of the land which had been purchased and owned by the communities as a whole up to this time. Title to very little had been acquired by individuals as of yet. A Town Clerk or Registree was to be chosen yearly and a Court of Probation was ordered to be set up for registration of wills and settlement of estates, Dr. Bray Rossitor was chosen as first Town Clerk and held office until 1651. He was succeeded by Matthew Grant. With homesteads on the west side of the river and the pastureland on the east side, it soon became obvious that there had to be some way of getting men and their cattle across the river, Thus, the Bissell Ferry was born in 1642. The town voted to operate a ferry over the Great River and the contract to operate this ferry was finally taken over by John Bissell in 1648. The ferry bore a resemblance to an oversized raft, In 1655, Bissell moved the east side landing south one mile to a site near Bissell's Hill, south of the mouth of the Scantic River. Bissell's Hill is now known as East Windsor Hill. It is, however, located in South Windsor. The Bissells were pioneers of East Windsor emigration. Their house was erected in 1658 - 1659. It was the first and for many years the only dwelling-house in what is now South Windsor. In 1662, John Bissell conveyed it to his son Nathaniel by deed. MAIN STREET In 1660 a need was felt for a common road along the meadows on the east side of the Great River from the Podunk to the Scantic and thence through Scantic to connect with the "country road" towards Springfield. A number of men were appointed to work on the highway, but nothing was done and in 1680 a complaint was made that this order had been neglected and that the General Court should compel the selectmen to carry out the order. The result was known as Main Street. It was laid out as a main travel route over which stage coaches from Hartford stopped at Bissell's Tavern in East Windsor Hill to change horses. By 1700, Main Street was teeming with business, shops, merchants and craftsman. Shipping flourished as there was direct trade with England, Spain and the Indies. Flax was raised and sold to New York. The depression after the Revolutionary War changed all this. In October 1691, a petition was presented to the General Court asking for the privilege of maintaining a separate church, with the right to procure and settle a minister. This first minister of the east settlement was Timothy Edwards. His church, the First Congregational Church, was located on Main Street. In the beginning it was a small frame meeting house. There was no parsonage; the pastor’s salary was meager, and a supply of firewood was included in the remuneration. The first meeting house was located at the northeast corner of the cemetery on Main Street. It was used until a second one was built, in 1714, at the same place. Timothy Edwards was a brilliant scholar and theologian. He was the son of a rich Hartford merchant, born in 1669. He was a member of the class of 1691 of Hartford College. In 1694, he moved to South Windsor- known then as Windsor Farmes. He was ordained on May 28, 1698.